Chapter D: C. McCALHOUN, Hornellsville, N. Y. Feb. 1st, ’75

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32 swarms in spring, made 3000 lbs. surplus, increased to 50, (of course it was all extracted) and have sold it all for 15 cts. per lb. delivered on track. The honey was nearly all from basswood, clover did not do much. The fall was very dry and the bees got very little after basswood failed. Don’t know how they will winter, but they are all right yet.

JAMES SCOTT, Epworth, Dubuque Co., Iowa.

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Last winter I put up 68 swarms, all came through alive but lost 4 which were Queenless; sold two more which left me 62. Increased them the past season to 99 swarms and got 2600 lbs. box honey and 600 lbs. extracted, for which I realized about $600.00. I sold 31 swarms for $7.50 each, so it leaves me with 68 swarms again this winter, all of which seem to be wintering well.

W. H. TENANT, Eureka, Wis. Jan. 18th, ’75.

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Began the season with about 20 stocks in poor condition. Five stocks Queenless in spring. Increased them to 37 in fall, in apparent good condition to winter. From 6 stocks in non-swarmers, took 560 lbs. box honey; from the best, 110 lbs., from the poorest, 65 lbs. Built up and increased the remaining stocks, and took 760 lbs. liquid white honey from them. Fed in the fall, 15 lbs. “A” sugar. Reared during the summer, 36 surplus Italian Queens.

J. H. NELLIS, Canajoharie, N. Y.

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We have only extracted from 5 stocks this summer as we thought best to “go slow and sure.” Well, we took from those 5 stocks over 300 lbs. of honey, and increased them to 13 good stocks with plenty of honey for winter supplies, while our other 4 left for box honey and natural swarms, have swarmed altogether too much, and gave very little surplus. And worst of all, some of the young swarms went to the woods, in spite of all our endeavors to prevent them.

ILA MICHENER, Low Banks, Ont., Can. Oct. 19, ’74.

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The summer was very dry, so there was very little honey stored. But the fall was unusually fine. _Four_ stocks devoted to box honey, gave 128 lbs., an average of 32 lbs. per stock. Nine stocks yielded to the extractor 741 lbs., an average of 82⅓ lbs. per stock. The largest yield from any _one_ stock was 153 lbs. I increased my 13 to 23 and they go into winter quarters in good condition with 50 lbs. of stores per hive. I should have extracted a little closer, but was away from home at the time it should have been done.

DR. W. H. P. JONES, Nashville, Tenn.

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Last year I tried small frames something like Harbison’s, only I had them so that the bees could work all ways through them—could tier them up etc. It was on a Quinby hive or rather frame, put small frames on sides and top, got between 90 and 100 lbs. of comb honey and one swarm of bees besides. I shall try them several ways the coming season. The best I have done with boxes is about the same as above. My frame is 14×10 inches, inside measure—have three New Idea hives—bees swarmed out of them while I was extracting in spite of all I could do. How’s that?—never saw such a season for swarming—returned most of mine. I have only 26 swarms and do not want to increase if I can help it for I cannot attend to them. I winter in a large cellar and lose no bees, keep up my experiments winter as well as summer— that’s half the fun. Most of my frames are so placed that the boxes come up plump against the _ends_ of frames and are just as close to the brood as those on top and in fact the guide comb is a good deal nearer, and no bee can stick his head out at the ends, unless he sticks it in the boxes; but I forget you are no box man!

R. H. MELLEN, Amboy, Lee Co., Ills.

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HOW TO FLY BEES IN A ROOM.

In the spring of ’73 bought two colonies of bees, having poor health thought the attention to them in the open air would be beneficial; finding the business so pleasant and profitable concluded to make it a permanent business, and have given my whole attention to it. Increased my two colonies to ten, bought 12 more, making in all 22. All came out good in the spring of ’74, and I got 2100 lbs. box honey and 400 lbs. extracted, and increased to 47. I have now 65 colonies in my cellar all in good condition except one, which showed signs of dysentery. I gave them a fly, and this is how I did it. Took pine strips one inch square, made a frame 4 feet square and 2½ deep; covered sides with news-papers tacked on, spread papers on the carpet of sitting room near south window. Set my frame on it covering the top with mosquito bar, set hive outside with entrance opening into it through a hole cut in paper. Waited until bees were all quiet then warmed up room to 65°, standing thermometer against hive; all flew well for five hours, cleaned out their hive, and as darkness came on, all returned to hive again, making it a perfect success. The papers were badly soiled. Shall serve the rest the same if necessary. By flying them this way with but a trifling expense you need not lose a bee. Winter my bees in cellar with dirt walls, temperature 40 to 45°, cellar very dry. I use Langstroth hive, got most of my honey in 20 lb. boxes, two boxes cover a hive—not quite as salable but I get good deal more honey in large boxes. Box honey averaged me 24c. per lb., extracted 20c. per lb. Extracted only to give room for the Queens to lay.